Drummer&#39;s pedal.



J. D. TOBIAS.

DBUMMER'S PEDAL. V

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.14, 1910 Patented Jul 5T2, 1912.

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Indenibr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. TOBIAS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DRUMMERS PEDAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Application filed November 14, 1910. Serial No. 592,352.

freedom of action of the drummers foot;

to provide a drummers pedal having superior mechanical actionwhereby'maximum speed and ease of operation may be obtained; to securemaximum speed with a minimum exertion; :to provide for perfectadjustment to suit the individual drummer; and to prevent muting.

Other objects are cheapness, strength, durability and compactness. I

The invention may be carried out in various forms. v

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in'the form atpresent deemed most desirable. ,I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drummers pedal constructed inaccordance with this invention. Parts are shown by solid lines in theposition just after the stroke has been given and by dotted lines as theparts will appear when perfectly free. Broken lines indicate theposition of parts when the device is ready to be packed for storage ortransportation. Fig. 2 is an elevation from the left of the beater rodin Fig. 1 showing the foot of the beater rod in longitudinal section andmounted on its bearing. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of the jointbetween the beater rod and the thrustrod. This view is from line :12,Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail from line as, Fig. 1, showing thejoint between the tread arm and the thrust rod. Fig. 5 is a detail ofthe adjustable connection between the returning spring and the frameviewed from the farther side of Fig. 1.

The frame 1 may be made of a metal strap bent into elongate U shape formand suitably connected as by screws or rivets 2 with bearing boxes 3, 4,which are connected together by a bar 5 and to which is connected theheel socket 6 that is a U-shape strap of metal fastened at its ends byscrews a or other suitable means to studs 7, 8, that pro-- jectrearwardly from the bearing boxes 3 and 4.

A center bar 9 of strap iron or other suitable material is bent up atits ends to form ears 10,11, one of which is fastened by rivets b to theheel socket 6 and the other to the middle of the U-frame 1. The heelplate 12 of fiber or other suitable material is fitted friction tight inthe space between the bearing boxes and the heel socket and rests uponthe center bar 9.

The bearing box 4 is made in two pieces fastened together by suitablemeans, so as to allow the tread to be easilymounted.

The tread 13, journals 14:, 15, and upright actuating arm 16 of thepedal are made of one piece of round ironor other metal bent to form anintermediate loop which constitutes the tread between the journals 14,15,

that are practically normal to the axis of the tread, one of saidbearings terminating in the upright actuating arm 16 which ispractically normal to the axis of the journal and also to the axis ofthe tread and terminates in a crank pin 17 which is elevated above theframe a distance of three or four inches, more or less.

The right angle thrust-block 18 is journaled on the crank pin 17 and isprovided with rotary and slip bearings 19 and 20 normal to each other,to accommodate the crank pin 17 and the slipping thrust rod 21; onebeing above the other.

The closed end of the frame 1 is provided with two seats 2:2, 22', whichmay be made by simply perforating the strap that forms the frame loop;and in said seats there is seated a bearing rod 23 which forms a supportfor the beater bearing 24: that extends between the loop arms of theframe and is held in place by said arms near the end of the loop and isprovided with a socket 25 in which the beater arm 26 is fixed by meansof the set screw 27. On the beater arm 26 there is adjustably mounted aright angle thrust joint 28 havinga beater arm bearing 29 and a bearing30 for a pin 31 on the end of the thrust rod. The beater arm thrustjoint 28 is adjustably mounted on the beater arm by a sliding bracket 32having an eye 33 around the beater arm above the thrust rod joint 28,and a clamp 34 below said joint, provided with a thumb screw 35 whichslides through one arm 36 of the loop and screws into the other arm 37of said loop to draw the loop together and clamp the beater arm 26.

The bracket is provided with a hook 38 to which one end of theretracting spring 39 is fastened, the other end being fastened toadjustable spring supporting means comprising the hook 40 which isadjustably mounted on the frame 1; being for this purpose providedwithslots 41 and 42 to straddle one of the horizontal arms of the frame1 and fastened by a thumb screw 43 which screws through the base of thehook and against the frame 1. An adjustable stop 44 having a thumb screw45 is mounted on the thrust rod 21 to receive the thrust of the thrustblock 18, so that when the tread 13 is depressed and the thrust blockthrust forward, the thrust rod 21 will be thrown forward, thus impellingthe beater arm 26 which is provided with the head 46 to beat the drum47, which is clamped to the frame 1 by swir'el clamps 48 and 49. Thethrust rod may be provided at its free end with an enlarged removabletip 50 to prevent accidental withdrawal of the thrust rod from thethrust block. By removing the tip 50 the thrust rod may be withdrawnfrom the thrust block and then the parts may be brought into the compactposition shown in broken lines in Fig. 1.

The beater arm may be provided with a cymbal arm 51 in the usual manner.

A fiber washer 52 is provided between the thrust block 18 and the stop44 to prevent noise. j

A toe rest comprising a fiber plate 53 and a plush pad 54 is mounted onthe middle bar 9 to cushion the tip of the tread at the end of a stroke.

The thrust rod 21, stop 44, spaced apart from the tip 50 with the thrustblock 18, crank 17 and upright actuating arm 16 constitute powertransmitting mechanism between the tread and the beater arm whichpermits of lost motion and adapted to operate the beater to beat thedrum. The means comprising the thrust rod 21, stop 44, thrust block 18and crank 17 constitute means operated by the'actuating arm to thrustthe beater arm forward, and the sliding thrust block 18 has a limitedmovement determined by the movement of the tread 13.

In practical use the tread may be operated through a long or short areaccording to the requirements of the music or the pleasure of thedrummer-and the parts will be so adjusted that when the tread is on thetoe-rest, the thrust rod will be positively moved for ward into positionto bring the beater arm to upright position; and sufficient free spaceis provided between the stop and the free end of the thrust rod to allowthe rod to slip through the thrust block far enough to allow the beaterhead to strike the drum head; the spring allowing such action to takeplace and immediately returning the beater arm after the stroke. Thetension of the spring may be adjusted at pleasure by changing theposit-ion of the clamp hook on the frame 1. The gear of the action maybe adjusted by raising or lowering the thrust joint on the beater arm.By raising the thrust joint on the beater arm, the movement of the treadis lengthened and the action is softened. By lowering the thrust jointon the beater arm the movement of the tread is shortened and the actionis quickened. The adjustment is thus easily changed to meet individualneeds.

The thrust block 18 constitutes means on the upright actuating arm 16 toslidingly support the thrust rod 21 to allow loose motion for the beaterarm 26 so that when the stroke has been given, the resilientretracting'means 39 at once draws back the beater arm, thus retractingthe beater head 46 from the head of the drum 4? thereby preventingmuting and allowing a quick succession of strokes to be given.

It is thus seen that I hay e produced a drummers pedal in which thestroke is carried from the axle of the tread directly to the beater armby lost motion mechanism comprising an upright arm and connecting meansin loose relation between the upright arm and beater arm to transmit thebeat from the tread to the beater arm; and that said beater arm beinjournaled on the same plane with the trea operates toward and from thedrum head as the tread moves down and up, and that the action isadjustable in regard to speed and resistance to suit the drummer; theresilient retracting means 39 being capable of any required degree oftension.

The actuating arm 16 will operate upon the lost motion connectionwhenever said actuating arm is swung upward toward the beater arm.

I claim:

1. A drummers pedal comprising a tread, an axle rigid with the tread, anupright rigid with the axle, a beater arm and a connection between thebeater arm and the up right and in which the stroke is carried from thetread through the axle to the upright and from the upright directly tothe beater arm.

2. In a drummers pedal the combination with a beater arm journaled atone end, of a tread and an arm connected with the tread and adapted tostand uprightwhen the tread is down, a thrust rod connected with thebeater arm and slidably connected with the upright arm, means on theupright arm to slidingly support the rod, and a stop on the rod to beacted on by said means to move the rod to make the stroke.

3. A drummers pedal comprisingafranie, a beater arm journaled to theframe; a tread journaled to the frame and provided with an upright arm;a rod jointed to the beater arm and slidingly supported by the uprightarm; a stop on the rod to receive the stroke from the upright arm and aspring to return the beater arm.

4. A drummers pedal comprising a frame, a beater arm on the frame, atread on the frame, and power transmitting mechanism which permits oflost motion comprising a rod, a stop on the rod and a sliding bearingbetween the tread and the beater arm said bearing being connected withthe tread and adapted to allow for lost motion and to operate the beaterarm.

5. A drummers pedal comprisinga frame, a heater arm on the frame, atread on the frame, power transmitting mechanism comprising a rod, astop on the rod and a sliding bearing between the tread and the beaterarm said bearing being connected with the tread and adapted to allow forlost motion and to operate the beater arm to beat the drum, andresilient means to return the beater arm.

6. A drummers pedal comprisingaframe, a beater arm on the frame, a treadon the frame, power transmittin mechanism comprising a rod, a stop on te rod and a sliding bearing between the tread and the beater arm saidbearing being connected with the tread and adapted to allow for lostmotion and to operate the beater arm to beat the drum, and resilient'means in adjustable relation to the frame to return the beater arm.

7. The combination with the bearing blocks, of a frame and heel socketfixed to the blocks on opposite sides thereof, a heel plate in the heelsocket, a toe rest in front of-the blocks, a tread journaled in theblocks and provided with an arm, a beater arm journaled to the frame infront of the toe rest, a thrust rod loosely connecting the beater armand the arm of the tread and arranged to be thrust forward thereby whenthe tread is depressed, and resilient means to return the beater arm.

8. The combination with a frame, of a beater arm journaled to the frame,a tread journaled to the frame and provided with an arm having a crankpin, a thrust block journaled on the crank pin and provided with a slipbearing, a thrust rod provided with a stop to receive the thrust of thethrust bearing and provided with a pin, a bearing for said pin swiveledon the beater arm, and a clamp to adjustably support the beater armbearing on the beater arm.

9. The combination with a frame, of a beater arm journaled to the frame,a tread journaled to the frame and provided with an arm having a crankpin, a thrust block journaled on the crank pin and provided with a slipbearing, a thrust rod provided with a stop to receive the thrust of thethrust bearing and provided with a pin, a bearing for said pin swiveledon the beater arm, a clamp to adjustably support the beater arm bearingon the beater arm, and resilient means'connected with the clamp toretract the beater arm.

10. The combination with a pedal frame and an actuating arm, of a beaterarm journaled to the frame, means operated by the actuating arm tothrust the beater arm forward, a spring connected with the beater arm toretract the same and means adjust ably connected with the pedal frame tosupport the spring.

11. The combination with a journaled beater arm, of a journaled treadhaving an arm and a crank pin on said arm, a thrust block on the crankpin and provided with a slip bearing, a thrust rod sliding in the slipbearing, a joint connecting the thrust rod with the beater arm and astop on the thrust rod to receive the thrust of the thrust block.

12. The combination with a journaled beater arm, of a journaled treadhaving an upright arm and a crank pin on said arm, a thrust block on thecrank pin and provided with a slip bearing, a horizontal thrust rodsliding in the slip bearing, a joint connecting the thrust rod with thebeater arm and a stop on the thrust rod to receive the thrust of thethrust block, and a sound absorber between the stop and the thrustblock.

13. The combination with a pedal frame, of an actuating arm journalcd tothe frame; a beater arm journaled to the frame; a lost motion connectionbetween the beater arm and the actuating arm and connecting its arms andoperated by the actuating arm to thrust the beater arm forward;aspringconnected with the beater arm to retract the same; and means connectedwith the pedal frame to support the spring.

14. A drummers pedal comprising a frame; a beater arm on the frame, saidarm being provided with a heater head; a tread on the frame; powertransmitting mecha nism which permits of lost motion and is operativelyconnected with the tread and the beater arm and is arranged between thetread and beater arm to transmit motion from the tread to operate thebeater arm to beat the drum; and a spring to take up the lost motionthereby retracting the beater head from the drum to the extent of thelost motion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angcles,California, this 29th day of October 1910.

JOHN D. TOBIAS.

In presence of- JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

OLIVE DIFFENDERFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

